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Malpais

Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica
🪨Rocks🌀Strong rips

Malpais and its more famous neighbor Santa Teresa occupy the sun-baked southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, offering a constellation of breaks that range from mellow beach break walls to punchy reef points. The main right-hand point at the southern end provides the region's most defined wave, reeling along rocky outcrops with occasional barrel sections. The area's remote location—accessible by rough roads or ferry—has cultivated a distinct bohemian surf culture. Development has arrived, but the consistent waves and spectacular sunsets continue to draw surfers seeking the quintessential Costa Rican surf village experience.

3-Day Forecast
Today
16
63
Fair
1.9m
@17s
14km/h
Tue
17
54
Fair
1.7m
@17s
15km/h
Wed
18
69
Good
1.4m
@16s
11km/h
+7
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Today's Conditions

Swell
1.9m
S(188°)
Score: 24/25
Period
17s
Long period groundswell
Score: 25/25
Wind
14km/h
WSW(255°)
Score: 2/25
Weather
29°C
0.0mm47%
Windswell Component
0.1mSSW@1s
Secondary Swell
0.8mSW
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
morning

Location & Conditions

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0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
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Showing forecast for today

Tide Times

1:45 am
High tide - 0.80m
7:55 am
Low tide - -1.00m
2:15 pm
High tide - 0.88m
8:18 pm
Low tide - -1.00m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

63
Fair
Components
Swell Direction17/25
Swell Size24/25
Swell Period25/25
Wind2/25
Raw Score68/100
Adjustments
⚠️ Weak Component-5
Adjusted Score63/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score63

Spot Details

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
SSW (200°)
Direction range
180° - 230°
Size range
0.6m - 2.5m
Ideal size
1.9m
Height multiplier
0.97×
Ideal period
14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
ENE (70°)
Offshore range
30° - 110°
Best window
morning

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid
Optimal range
0.4m - 1.5m

Water temp

28°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

5/10

Crowd level

5/10

Access: Drive or ferry from mainland.

Best Season

Peak: Apr-Oct

Secondary: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar

Year-round. Rainy season best.

Getting There

Airport
SJO
Drive time
180 min
Data quality
community

Strike Log

Community Discussion